The Time I Survived.

It was a Saturday morning.
I had just had class in the Belk building and had decided to stay there until word of the final mission was e-mailed out. It was more central and had more exits than my little Village house - and it had computers.
We remaining humans (15 of us) were all separately receiving txts with clues for the final mission and were being told to collaborate with each other to work it out. My clue was:

'You will have to be handsy with the opposition'

Feeling frantic, hands shaking with adrenaline, I posted my number on the facebook page with a desperate cry out to the other humans.

'We need to communicate! txt me!'

The texts started flooding coming in.

'This is Eric, I'm with Shana and Jerrica. We're working out the clues now'.

'This is James. I've left home and am heading over the Ramsey now'

'Hey. It's Richie. I'm sitting alone in the dining hall. Where are you? have you heard anything about the mission?"

I was in a texting flurry! My fingers felt clumsy and and awkward as I tried to text a million people at once.

'This is my clue! I'm hiding in Belk! The mission starts at 2! I'll let you know if I hear anything else!'

Then I got a message from Scott. Scott my friend. The zombie.

'You're not getting out'

(cue music - this is actually what came on my mp3 player at this time. No joke)

THEY KNEW WHERE I WAS!

I couldn't control my fear. Despite my precautions I was surrounded. I texted James in a flurry.

'James! Do you know what the mission is? Can you help me? I'm surrounded and trapped!!'

His response sent my blood cold.

'I. Am. Zombie.'

James had fallen.





Then I got a text from Eric.

'We have to stun and transport a zombie to Reynolds. Meet at Reynolds'

Poor Richie was totally without a computer and begging for information. I passed on the mission details then said.

'Come to Belk, help me stun the zombies and we'll head up together'.

His response was disheartening.

'Belk is completely surrounded by zombies. I can't even get past Balsam'

I decided to make a run for it.

Heart pounding, I scoured the exits. Looking out a 2nd storey window, I saw that a side door was completely free. I sprinted down the fire stairs and then calmed myself before heading out the door.

I ran straight into a zombie.

It took us both a moment to comprehend one another. Then, we both dropped into a kind of crouch and began circling, like squirrels about to fight over a testosterone injected acorn.

I had the advantage however and he soon realised it. He was a lone zombie simply following orders. I was a cornered, terrified human, with a bazillion sock balls at my disposal. He began to inch his way back to the path which would lead him to his friends. I ran and blocked him off. With his options gone he began to advance on me. I threw a sockball. He dodged. It missed! I threw another. He jumped to the side but not far enough. It caught him in the hip.

'Damn'.

'YESSSSS!'  

I ran to pick it up just as he ran past me bellowing, 

'HUUUUUMAN!!!!!! HUUUUUUMANNNNN!!!!!'

My stomach dropped and I turned and ran. I ran and ran and ran. I headed towards the football field. There was a game on and so there were crowds in the parking lot. I reasoned that I could blend in with them but after a while I realised the inevitable. I would have to go back. I had to get to Reynolds. So, trying to appear nonchalant, I made my way back to Belk, the other side this time. As I reached it I saw two more zombies up ahead. They were distracted though. They were both peering intently up to the 2nd storey window of Belk. I did not change my rhythm. Subtly, I reached into my pockets and stroked my sockballs.

Soon my pretties soon. 

The two zombies finally saw me when I was maybe 2 meters away. By then it was too late. A sockball each to the chest and they were both stunned. The humans inside were free.

I resumed running. The blood freezing cry had gone up again.

'HUUUUMAN!!!!' 

except this time (and admittedly it was probably the adrenaline talking) it sounded more like a frustrated, angry, retarded bull.

'BBBBLOOOOOGGGGGAAAAAAMMMMMMNDFSD&R$*R&*WFW!!!!!" 

was what I heard - but I knew what they meant, and so I started to sprint.

OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD.
I didn't need to look behind me to see a pack of at least 6 chasing me. Up ahead there was a group of 6 more, crossing the road to cut me off. I crossed the road early and ran for a church building, intending to run up the mountain path. The angle I chose took me out of sight of both groups for maybe 20 seconds and in that moment I made a life defining decision.

-They had seen me make a direct beeline for the mountain path. They knew where I was going. So instead, I took 6 steps backwards, back to the road, and huddled beneath some bushes beside the footpath. The 6 zombies who had been behind me reached the mountain path-

'She was heading this way!' 

They called and they took the path. All they would have had to do was turn their head 90 degrees and they would have seen me. Two others walked along the footpath, passing literally 30 cm from me and my wheezing lungs.

After I calmed myself I reached for my phone. I had a text from Richie.

'Where are you?'

'I've left Belk' I replied. 'I'm headed for Reynolds'

'Ya. I heard someone stunned all the zombies'

I felt a rush of accomplishment.

'That was me!!!'

Then I got a text from Eric

'Come to Benton'

Benton is a residence hall not as far up the mountain as Reynolds and so sneakily, I began making my way there. I didn't see any more zombies. They were all by the fountain, plotting. When I reached Benton I texted Eric.

'I'm here. Let me in!'

'We thought you were still in Belk so we're down in Blueridge' (a residence hall next to Belk)

I had literally JUST come from there! Basically we had just swapped sides of the map. SOOOO frustrating! I replied to Eric that I would come back down, I was just waiting for Richie. Then I texted Richie saying

'Come meet me at Benton'

And he replied that he would.

So I waited. and waited and waited and waited. I kept receiving reports from Eric who I realised now was with the last group of remaining humans. Of the 15 of us who had started there were only 5 of them left. And then Richie and I.

I texted Richie again.

'Where are you?'

'Coming round the side, too many zombies in the middle'

I waited and waited and waited some more. I was starting to get freaked out. I was too exposed. If the horde found me there was nowhere I could run to. Also. there was pressure from Eric and the others to get moving. I texted Richie again.

'Are you coming out near Central?'

'Ya. Be there soon'

Then I got a text from Eric which made my spine freeze.

'I heard Richie just got turned Zombie'.

Frantically I texted my friend.

'Still human?'

I died a little inside when I received the response. 

'Nope... and one more thing...'.

Something else? Something worse?

'Oh god. What?'

'This isn't Richie...

he just died in front of me...'

I died a little, actually a lot, inside.

The fact is that while there was indeed a human called Richie playing, he and I had never corresponded once during the entire game. A Zombie by the name of 'Rabbit' had taken my number off Facebook and has used it to exploit me. I had told him the mission, the position of my fellow humans and my own. THAT'S HOW THEY HAD KNOWN I WAS IN BELK!!! There was no 'poor' Richie trapped in the dining hall, computer-less, sockball-less, companion-less... there was just Rabbit and the other 24 Zombies receiving every single secret detail of our mission - from me.

Humiliated and angry as hell I left Benton and made my way to Blueridge to meet with the other humans. They had a zombie stunned and ready to transport. We took a long winding way out of the building, avoiding the zombies altogether. We took the mountain path and were halfway up when Eric received another text. 

'Instead of Reynolds, go to the Track and Field track'

So, with much swearing and great frustration, we turned around and headed to the other end of campus. We saw not a single zombie. Things were quiet...Too quite.

We reached the track and field stadium. There was no one there. We girls stayed with the zombie while the boys scouted out the area. We were looking for the 'scientist' but could see no one. Tired and angry, Eric texted the directors and we were told to spread out and look harder. We left the field and began to follow a running track beside the creek. Suddenly, as I looked over to my right, I saw a group of five people running along the mountain ridge by Norton. They were far away but even from that distance I could make out the yellow bandana. Zombies!

They were running to try to cut us off. 

I don't know which happened first. Either we saw 'The Scientist' standing inside a circle of cones, the 'safe zone' under a tree and began to move towards him. Or we heard the horn, true Lord of the Rings style blowing from behind us. We turned and saw every last remaining zombie spread out over the hill behind us, charging, with an enormous American flag waving behind them, silhouetted spectacularly, ominously, by the sun. There has never been a more dramatic, movie scripted moment in my entire life.

Notice that I peed myself a little in fear...

'RUUUUUUUUN!!!!!!'

and, with our captured zombie in tow, we bloody well ran.

Of the 120 players who had begun the week earlier, 15 humans survived until the final Saturday. 6 of us made it to the safe zone and won the game for humans everywhere.

This was the time I survived.

Some Pics from the Game

Zombie pack advancing...

Armed to the teeth with sockballs...

Part of the Zombie horde receiving orders...

...and eating humans

Zombies chasing...

...and humans running

'Rabbit' with his flag - and smug grin

The Mission

The Mission

Humans: 20-ish
Zombies: 25-ish

Objective: Deliver 5 packages to random people in 5 specific locations and collect signatures. Meet back at safe zone

Our Plan: Split into two groups, secretly give the packages to runners with cat cards for the correct buildings. Let the groups distract and hold off the zombies.

The Story of Group 1.
This one guy who has clearly played before decided to select the two groups like soccer teams, with captains picking their player. He took Group 1 and selected all the biggest, strongest, fastest men in the group and then, with almost no deliberation with Group 2 set off, gung ho, to complete his objective.

They were cut down at the stairs.

Scott took the Norton package and ran. A fellow named Andrew took another package and ran. Everyone else became infected and the horde grew.

Group 1:10 seconds into the mission

Group 1: 20 second into the mission

The Story of Group 2
Our leader was this great, level headed guy called Casey. When Group 1 drew almost every zombie to them we simply turned and walked out of the pit. Easily stunning the two zombies who had been left to guard us.
We took a winding path across the streams with our objective being to get to Central, Reynolds and the Courtyard. Central and Reynolds are two residence halls which are quite out of the way from the main campus but also quite close together. We elected to send David and another guy to deliver those packages, seeing as David lives in Central and the other guy had a friend who could let them into Reynolds. The rest of us had a more dangerous task. The courtyard dining hall.
By this time the horde had finished devouring Group 1, all who now had become zombies.  We were hunkered in Balsam, a nearby residence hall and they were waiting for us at the all 3 dining hall entrances. To give David and co a chance to split off without being followed, our main body decided to launch a diversion attack on the zombies. Then we decided to also use this opportunity to deliver the 3rd parcel. Me and another guy were elected to do this. Him because he had experience, good military strategies, fast legs and a cool head. Me because I am a coward and had stuffed my pockets with more sockballs than a human being should be allowed to carry at any point in their life.
The attack was launched and we made a break for it, out the back door of Balsam, around the back of the dining hall to where there were only 4 zombies posted. We crouched behind a flower bed and discussed our strategy. I would go out long. He would come in short. We'd take them from the front and the side. We had my bajillion sockballs. We couldn't die. 1, 2, 3...we ran at them.
We took them down swiftly but my partner almost got tagged. It was a close thing. We ran inside, and he offered the packages to people who were eating. Everyone he asked declined it suspiciously.

"Let me do it. I'm a girl. People will trust me more".

I said and lo and behold, the first people I offered it to accepted it. I guess sexism is alive and well in the South. We got our signatures and then ran for the exit. Both other doors were blocked and we knew that there were zombies hiding behind the pillars. Then we remembered the door we'd come in. those zombies were still stunned! We pelted for the door (in the middle of the busy dining hall) and burst out the door. 

'Who still has stun time?'

My partner roared out the door at the zombies, his voice going a little squeaky from the adrenaline.

'WHO STILL HAS STUN TIME!? HANDS ON YOUR HEAD IF YOU STILL HAVE STUN TIME!!!!!'

We ended up pelting them with socks anyway as we ran past, just to make sure. But we were free. We had the signature. We made it back into Balsam and our comrades looked at us with adoration, wonder and amazement. 

"You're alive?"

Casey said with a look on his face like he'd didn't believe we'd both make it but was glad we had.

'Both of you? GOOD WORK!' 

And he fist bumped me. I felt my first rush of achievement. I had survived against incredible odds. I txted Scott to find out where he was. He was heading back to the safe zone. He'd also delivered the package to Norton. David and his companion were off safety on their way and Andrew, the other surviving runner from Group 1 had also made a signature. Things were looking good for the humans. 

We were waiting for word from David when the zombies who had been barricading us inside Balsam suddenly made an exodus for the iceskating rink. They were going to let us get the signatures. They were going to get us on our way back to our home base. We reconvened with our runners, compiled our signatures and began to head back. That's when Scott started txting me from inside the safe zone.

'I'm safe'

'Still human and proud. Got about 13 z guarding the place your best bet is to go around the back. only 4 zombies guarding the back stair'

'Hurry. I'm so alone! Back way is still pretty safe!'

'Back way!!!'

'Go the back way. Not up the front steps. There are no zombies that way'

So...I thought it was pretty clear that we should go the back way. But my group wouldn't listen to me! I told them and told them and told them but in the end David and I decided to go out on our own and head around the back way. I was not going to be part of a suicide run. 

We ran around the front, did not see any zombies. Ran around the side, still no zombies. Heard screams and howls and cries for help echoing over the building as the humans were ambushed. We ran. Down the stairs. Still no zombies. Then the zombies saw us. I knew it because the pitch of their bloodthirsty cries changed. I wasn't looking at them though. I was just watching my feet. I was taking the stairs two at a time. Running. Running. Down, down. Blood pounding in my ears, David just behind me. There could have been zombies waiting right at the bottom of the steps. I could have plowed right into them. I was just so focused on my feet, on getting down those stairs as fast as possible. I hit flat ground, threw my sockball at a zombie in my way and flew into the safe zone.

'YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!'

Scott ran over and we hugged a hug of people who thought they'd never see each other alive again. I danced around in glee, jumping up in the air. So sweaty, So exhausted. So exhilarated. It was the best feeling of my life. 

And then I turned around, just in time to see David taken by the swarm.

My comrade.

Had I just waited a little bit longer and helped him sockball his way out of it we both would have lived. It's a decision I will regret for the rest of my life.

When the mission was pronounced over, the safe zone disappeared and we just ran. All plan and strategy went from our minds and Scott and I just ran and ran and ran. It was exhausting. We were headed off by a very athletic, energetic zombie, but there were two of us and we were stocked with sockballs to the max. He was a bit intimidated and left to pester the guy behind us who was running a slower than we were. Looking back now we probably should have stopped to help. But we were just too desperate to be safe. Too exhausted to care about what happened to a stranger. It literally didn't even cross our minds. Our survival instinct had kicked in and we just kept on running.

I stayed in bed the entire following day. The mission almost killed me - and Scott was zombified on his way to the dining hall last night. 

Now I am all alone